Scottish Executive

Common Agricultural Policy

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what modelling has been done on the impact, under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), of basing the single payment on hybrids of area-based and historic approaches and how the results of any such modelling can be publicly accessed in order to inform responses to the second question on the single payment scheme in the consultation paper CAP Reform: Opportunities for Scotland .

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has undertaken modelling of the impact of calculating the single farm payment on various hybrid area-based approaches and of the historic individual approach. The results of the modelling are publicly available on the Executive’s CAP Reform website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ERADA/AgriPol/00017653/Economic.aspx.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what data it has showing how funding would be redistributed across regions and agricultural sectors under single payments based on hybrids of area-based and historic approaches following Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has undertaken modelling into the redistributive effect of different approaches to calculating the single farm payment. This shows how funding would be redistributed at regional level under the historic approach compared with a number of hybrid area-based models. The results of the modelling are publicly available on the Executive’s CAP Reform website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ERADA/AgriPol/00017653/Economic.aspx

Common Agricultural Policy

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to ensure that the general public, in addition to farmers and crofters, is encouraged and enabled to contribute to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform consultation process.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has undertaken a wide-ranging consultation exercise to encourage debate on CAP reform. The Executive launched the three-month consultation with a conference in Edinburgh on 6 October. The consultation paper was sent to a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives of civic society. The consultation paper, along with background information and supporting analysis, is publicly available on the Scottish Executive website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ERADA/AgriPol/00017653/Economic.aspx

  Twelve public meetings have been held throughout Scotland to provide information on the CAP reform agreement and the consultation process. These were advertised nationally and locally, and were open to the general public.

  A series of regional stakeholder discussion groups have also taken place, with numbers kept at around 20 people representing a cross-section of regional interests. These meetings were organised on behalf of the Scottish Executive by rural partnerships and community planning partnerships, and participants included representatives from voluntary organisations.

Europe

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the postponement of discussions on the European Constitution until March 2004 will have on matters for which it has responsibility.

Mr Andy Kerr: Following the failure of the intergovernmental conference on 12-13 December 2003 to agree a new EU Constitutional Treaty, the European Council has asked the Irish Presidency to make an assessment of the prospects for progress and to report to the European Council in March 2004.

  The Scottish Executive will continue to work with the UK Government and the Group of Regions with Legislative Powers to promote the role of the legislative regions and the effective application of the principle of subsidiarity, as was embodied in the draft treaty language on the role of the regions and the protocol on subsidiarity.

Further and Higher Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of its expenditure has been allocated directly to (a) higher and (b) further education in each year since 1999 and what figure this represents in (i) cash terms and (ii) as a percentage of expenditure on education as a whole.

Mr Andy Kerr: I   refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4468 on 11 December 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any monitoring of increased respiratory illnesses, particularly in relation to children within the Greater Pollok area and the south side of Glasgow in general, as a result of the construction of the M77.

Malcolm Chisholm: This is matter for Greater Glasgow NHS Board. I understand that, in the absence of evidence of deterioration in air quality following the construction of the M77, the board concluded that there was no compelling case for active monitoring of respiratory illnesses in the area in question. Greater Glasgow NHS Board has had no reports of increased illnesses from local GPs.

Homelessness

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis has been carried out of the impact of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 on the number of homelessness presentations.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 has not yet been commenced so no analysis of its impact has been possible.

  Local authorities have been preparing for commencement of their duties under the new legislation through their homelessness strategies. The phasing of the abolition of priority need, changes to the duties owed to intentionally homeless households and modification of the local connection provisions will be informed by research studies to be undertaken during 2004.

  The first commencement order for the 2003 act will come into force on 30 January 2004.

Housing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the provisions of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, there is any reason why an employee of a registered social landlord (RSL) would have to leave their employment because a relative or partner owned, or was a director of, a company which is a preferred contractor of that RSL.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows:

  Schedule 7 to the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 prohibits any registered social landlord (RSL) from granting benefits. Specifically, a benefit cannot be granted to a business trading for profit where either the principal proprietor of that business or a person directly concerned in the management of that business (a) is, or has been during the preceding 12 months, an officer or employee of the RSL or (b) is a close relative of any such person.

  For these purposes, the award of a contract would be treated as the grant of a benefit.

  The Scottish ministers have in effect approved certain exceptions to those restrictions. These include, for example, where the choice of contractors is severely limited in a very remote rural community.

  RSLs may, in very exceptional circumstances, make a payment or grant a benefit to a relevant business in which a close relative of an employee is a principal proprietor or is directly concerned in the management of a business with which the RSL has a commercial relationship. This would only apply where no alternative, reasonable option exists for procuring the product or service.

  Even in those cases the RSLs governing body must approve any exception used and be able to demonstrate that the employee concerned is not involved in any aspect of the contract procurement or management of the contract. This does not mean that an employee would have to leave their employment; however the RSL may have to bring their relationship with the contractor to an end.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the fifth supplementary to question S2O-867 by Ms Margaret Curran on 4 December 2003, what restrictions will be placed on local authorities that move to a prudential regime for housing provision.

Ms Margaret Curran: The prudential regime will be introduced for all local authorities from April 2004 and will replace the existing section 94 consent from ministers that permits local authorities to incur capital expenditure.

  From April 2004, it will be for individual authorities to decide for themselves what is an affordable and prudent level of borrowing in their circumstances. Ministers will, however, retain step in powers if there is an unsustainable increase in borrowing either across the UK as a whole, across Scotland or at an individual council level.

Housing

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eviction orders were granted in the quarter ending 30 June 2003.

Ms Margaret Curran: The number of eviction orders against council tenants granted to local authorities during the quarter ending 30 June 2003 was published in the latest quarterly Housing Trends in Scotland Statistical Bulletin (HSG/2003/6 published November 2003). This can be accessed on the Scottish Executive website www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00296-01.asp.

  Data on evictions of registered social landlord tenants are collected by Communities Scotland as part of their Annual Performance and Statistical Return and published in the Scottish Registered Social Landlord Statistics report. The 2002-03 report is due to be published at the end of January and will be available on Regulation & Inspection section of the Communities Scotland website:

  www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

Housing

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-occupied local authority-owned houses there are in each local authority area, expressed also as a ratio to the total number of local authority-owned houses in each area.

Ms Margaret Curran: The data on local authority-owned dwellings and dwellings vacant as at 31 March 2003 for each local authority are published in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)  Housing Trends in Scotland: Quarter ending 31 March 2003 . This can be accessed online through the Scottish Executive website www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00266-00.asp.

Housing

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority has spent on housing grants for domestic lead water pipe replacement in each year from 1992-93 to 2002-03.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information requested has been provided in a table entitled "Housing grants for domestic lead water pipe replacement", a copy of which has been place in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 30536).

Iranian Earthquake

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been, and will be, taken to provide aid to Iran to help address the aftermath of the recent earthquake.

Mr Andy Kerr: The recent earthquake in Iran was a tragic event, causing tremendous loss of life and suffering. Our sympathy goes to the people of Bam.

  International aid is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Government. They responded immediately by supplying search and rescue specialists, including a number based here in Scotland, as well as supplying or funding the supply of tents, heating and water purification equipment, and vaccines. The UK Government is now considering support for the medium-term needs of those made homeless.

Maternity Services

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies have been born with a drug addiction in each NHS board area in each of the last five years, expressed also on a per capita basis and as a ratio to all babies born in each area.

Hugh Henry: Drug misuse information is not recorded at birth, but when the baby is discharged from hospital. The available information on babies discharged from neonatal units with a diagnosis involving drug misuse is shown in Tables 1a and 1b.

  Table 1a: All Births1,2,3 and Neonatal Discharges4 Recording Drug Misuse5; Numbers and Rates per 1,000 Births

  


 SMR02
 SMR11



 All 
  Births
 Neonatal 
  Discharges Recording Drug Misuse



 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02


 Argyll and Clyde
 4,883
 4,657
 4,456
 4,305
 3,995
 11
 22
 34
 29
 29


 Ayrshire and Arran
 4,069
 4,038
 3,697
 3,685
 3,612
 7
 23
 28
 19
 26


 Borders
 1,035
 999
 1,018
 1,005
 1,032
 **
 -
 **
 -
 **


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1,573
 1,426
 1,391
 1,337
 1,201
 **
 5
 7
 13
 13


 Fife
 3,695
 3,725
 3,566
 3,520
 3,525
 6
 10
 15
 8
 8


 Forth Valley
 3,191
 3,136
 2,959
 2,900
 2,761
 7
 **
 12
 15
 6


 Grampian
 6,018
 5,882
 5,746
 5,320
 5,055
 60
 42
 67
 101
 86


 Greater Glasgow
 10,808
 10,064
 9,544
 9,368
 8,941
 66
 98
 109
 94
 33+


 Highland
 2,394
 2,372
 2,138
 2,199
 2,012
 **
 5
 6
 5
 **


 Islands
 717
 721
 696
 593
 593
 -
 -
 **
 **
 -


 Lanarkshire
 6,617
 6,488
 6,196
 6,085
 5,829
 **
 **
 10
 14
 19


 Lothian
 8,931
 8,818
 8,593
 8,236
 8,041
 16
 19
 29
 18
 28


 Tayside
 4,309
 4,070
 3,964
 3,829
 3,781
 24
 13
 5
 2
 7


  


 Rate 
  per 1,000 Births Within NHS Board Area



 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02


 Argyll and Clyde
 2.25
 4.72
 7.63
 6.74
 7.26


 Ayrshire and Arran
 4.18
 5.70
 7.57
 5.16
 7.20


 Borders
 **
 -
 **
 -
 0.97


 Dumfries and Galloway
 **
 3.51
 5.03
 9.72
 10.82


 Fife
 1.62
 2.68
 4.21
 2.27
 2.27


 Forth Valley
 2.19
 **
 4.06
 5.17
 2.17


 Grampian
 9.97
 7.14
 11.66
 18.98
 17.01


 Greater Glasgow
 6.11
 9.74
 11.42
 10.03
 3.69


 Highland
 **
 2.11
 2.81
 2.27
 **


 Islands
 -
 -
 **
 **
 -


 Lanarkshire
 **
 **
 1.61
 2.30
 3.26


 Lothian
 1.79
 2.15
 3.37
 2.19
 3.48


 Tayside
 5.57
 3.19
 1.26
 3.13
 1.85



  Source: SMR02 and SMR11.

  Ref: S2W-05284/IR2003-01737.

  1. Excludes home births and births at non-NHS hospitals.

  2. Includes all live births and stillbirths.

  3. From 1998, where four or more babies are involved in a pregnancy, birth details are recorded for the first three babies. Prior to 1998, birth details were recorded only for the first two babies delivered.

  4. A baby may be admitted to and discharged from neonatal care more than once. Figures relate to the total number of discharges, not to the number of individual babies.

  5. Drug misuse is defined using the following International Classification of Disease (10th Revision) codes:

  P04.4 - Foetus and newborn affected by maternal use of drugs of addiction.

  P96.1 - Neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs of addiction.

  **In order to maintain patient confidentiality, values of one and over and less than five have been suppressed.

  +Incomplete data collection.

  Table 1b: Neonatal Discharges1 Recording Drug Misuse2; Numbers and Rates per 100,000 Population

  


 SMR02
 SMR11



 Mid-Year 
  Estimate of Population
 Neonatal 
  Discharges Recording Drug Misuse



 1997
 1989
 1999
 2000
 2001
 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02


 Argyll and Clyde
 427,300
 425,970
 424,090
 421,740
 420,700
 11
 22
 34
 29
 29


 Ayrshire and Arran
 372,750
 371,790
 370,560
 368,770
 368,290
 17
 23
 28
 19
 26


 Borders
 105,960
 106,040
 105,810
 106,250
 106,950
 **
 -
 **
 -
 **


 Dumfries and Galloway
 148,520
 148,740
 148,230
 147,540
 147,780
 **
 5
 7
 13
 3


 Fife
 346,540
 346,540
 347,030
 348,340
 349,690
 6
 10
 15
 8
 8


 Forth Valley
 275,950
 276,970
 278,260
 278,980
 279,240
 7
 **
 12
 15
 6


 Grampian
 530,480
 528,670
 528,670
 527,080
 525,850
 60
 42
 67
 101
 86


 Greater Glasgow
 880,120
 876,520
 872,050
 866,510
 868,170
 66
 98
 109
 94
 33+


 Highland
 208,560
 208,850
 209,200
 209,130
 208,920
 **
 5
 6
 5
 **


 Islands
 70,510
 69,830
 69,140
 68,260
 67,630
 -
 -
 **
 **
 -


 Lanarkshire
 556,540
 555,180
 554,490
 553,410
 553,230
 **
 **
 10
 14
 19


 Lothian
 764,780
 767,920
 771,690
 776,500
 779,000
 16
 19
 29
 18
 28


 Tayside
 395,330
 394,050
 392,730
 390,430
 388,750
 24
 13
 5
 12
 7



 Discharges 
  per 100,000 Population within NHS Board Area



 1997-98
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02


 Argyll and Clyde
 25.74
 51.65
 80.17
 68.76
 68.93


 Ayrshire and Arran
 45.61
 61.86
 75.56 
  
 51.52
 70.60


 Borders
 **
 -
 **
 -
 **


 Dumfries and Galloway
 **
 33.62
 47.22
 88.11
 87.97


 Fife
 17.31
 28.86
 43.22
 22.97
 22.88


 Forth Valley
 25.37
 **
 43.13
 53.77
 21.49


 Grampian
 113.11
 79.44
 126.73
 191.62
 163.54


 Greater Glasgow
 74.99
 111.81
 124.99
 108.48
 38.01


 Highland
 19.18
 23.94
 28.68
 23.91
 4.79


 Islands
 -
 -
 **
 **
 -


 Lanarkshire
 **
 **
 18.03
 25.30
 34.34


 Lothian
 20.92
 24.74
 37.58
 23.18
 35.94



  Source: SMR02, SMR11, GRO(S) mid-year population estimates.

  Ref: S2W-05284 / IR2003-01737.

  1. A baby may be admitted to and discharged from neonatal care more than once. Figures relate to the total number of discharges, not to the number of individual babies.

  2. Drug misuse is defined using the following International Classification of Disease (10th Revision) codes:

  P04.4 - Foetus and newborn affected by maternal use of drugs of addiction.

  P96.1 - Neonatal withdrawal symptoms from maternal use of drugs of addiction.

  **In order to maintain patient confidentiality, values of one and over and less than five have been suppressed.

  +Incomplete data collection.

Money Lending

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to its news release SEc356/2003 on 8 December 2003 and its financial inclusion strategy, what level of interest is considered to be "extortionate" in relation to the Department of Trade and Industry scheme to crack down on money lenders and what level is considered to be acceptable for the purpose of loans.

Ms Margaret Curran: The pilot project which is starting in Glasgow in April will be aimed at tackling illegal, unlicensed money lenders whose rates are likely to be "extortionate" and accompanied with threats of violence and intimidation. In this respect no loans made by unlicensed loan sharks can be considered acceptable. In cases uncovered by investigations during this pilot, recourse will be by way of criminal proceedings rather than extortionate credit provisions.

  In respect of legal lending, there is no single interest rate level that can be considered acceptable or unacceptable in all circumstances. The Consumer Credit Act 1974 does not specify an acceptable rate of interest. It is for the courts to decide whether an interest rate is extortionate having had regard to all of the relevant circumstances of the particular case.

Poverty

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a breakdown of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation on a four-digit postcode basis and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Ms Margaret Curran: The interim Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2003 was based on ward geography and therefore the relative ranking is not available by postcode. The ward geography was chosen as some key data sources were only readily available at this level and also because wards are – on average – smaller than the four-digit postcode.

  The Scottish Executive is currently developing data sources that will enable the measurement of relative deprivation at small area level. Feedback from users indicator a need for measures of deprivation that are more applicable to small sub-ward and sub-postcode sector areas. The Scottish Executive is working to meet this need.

Poverty

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether data collected for the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation is available on a four-digit postcode basis.

Ms Margaret Curran: The data collected for the interim Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2003 was received at ward level. It is therefore not available at four-digit postcode level.

Poverty

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what work it is carrying out to develop a definition of a neighbourhood that would be useful for the purposes of calculating the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is not developing a strict definition of neighbourhood for use in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SMID). Rather as part of the Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics (SNS) project work has been progressed to develop a small area "statistical" geography. This new geography will be used in the next SMID and will allow pockets of deprivation to be identified that may be overlooked by ward or postcode sector analyses.

  Through the SNS it will be possible for users to compare information at a common geography and also combine these small areas to form larger geographic aggregates that meet their specific needs, without causing disclosure of information on individuals through differencing.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-919 on 1 August 2003, by Allan Wilson and S2W-1693 by Ross Finnie on 1 and 26 August 2003, whether it will reconsider its decision not to publish the cabinet papers and other documents requested.

Ross Finnie: No. The position remains as set out in the answer given to question S2W-919 on 1 August 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the civil service advice to ministers in respect of the relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), with particular reference to the choice of Inverness as the location for the new headquarters for SNH and the input of SNH and its consultants in connection with this matter.

Ross Finnie: The advice given to ministers is exempt from disclosure under Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information (Internal discussion and advice). This is in line with the long standing convention that it is in the public interest to maintain the confidentiality of exchanges between officials and ministers concerning policy advice and to protect the processes by which government reaches a collective view.

Sign Language

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in promoting British Sign Language (BSL), following the recognition of BSL as a language in its own right by Her Majesty's Government on 18 March 2003.

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial resources are being made available to develop British Sign Language in this financial year, 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Ms Margaret Curran: Promotion of British Sign Language (BSL) is being progressed in a number of different ways.

  The First Minister made the following commitment on 27 March 2003 (S1F-2624):

  "The First Minister (Mr Jack McConnell): As a start, I believe that we should double the number of British Sign Language interpreters in Scotland and I have asked officials to prepare plans for how we might achieve that, which will be presented to whatever set of ministers occupies the Executive offices after the election." (Official Report, col. 20117).

  Scottish Executive officials are in active dialogue with deaf organisations and the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters to produce these plans.

  The Equality Unit has sponsored a research project to investigate the experience of BSL users in accessing public services. This is being taken forward by the University of Bristol and the Deaf Studies Trust. In addition the Equality Unit is also sponsoring research on Translation, Interpreting and Communications Services, including British Sign Language. This is being taken forward by Heriot-Watt University. The value of these contracts is around £80,000 in total.

  In the three-year period 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06, the Scottish Executive is providing funding to the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI) under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, of £21,129, £19,730, and £19,016 respectively and, under section 10(1) of the act, £23,712, in each of these years. In addition, £13,230 is committed to SASLI under section 16B funding for financial year 2003-04.

  SASLI promotes and develops sign language interpreting services in Scotland by maintaining a register of interpreters. The organisation encourages and assists the training of people who wish to develop interpreting skills, thereby improving communication between deaf and hearing people as equal and participating members of the community.

  The Scottish Executive is also funding several projects under the SEN Innovation Grants Programme supporting work relating to BSL. Further details are as follows.

  1. Scottish Sensory Centre (SSC)

  The Scottish Executive core funds the Scottish Sensory Centre to act as a national source of information, advice and training for parents, teachers and other professionals working with children with sensory impairment. This includes a range of work relating to BSL.

  The SSC runs courses, particularly advanced courses, on the structure and use of BSL for a range of professionals and parents. SSC also develops sign bilingual multi-media materials which can support both deaf pupils and those learning BSL. SSC has also been active in developing policy and recommendations linked to BSL and in working with BSL-related developments, such as the development of a deaf studies curriculum.

  Funding - £167,000 in 2003-04 to the Scottish Sensory Centre.

  Funding will continue over 2004-06.

  2. BSL Dictionary Project consortium led by the charity Stories in the Air. The project has produced a CD-Rom/booklet pack, which teaches very young children, and their parents, sign language through virtual reality, a medium to which children can quickly relate. A website version is also available.

  Funding - £93,212 for period 2003-04.

  In addition, as autonomous bodies, colleges are free to use the resources allocated to them by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council to run whichever courses they deem necessary, while taking account of the needs of the students and local communities they serve. A number of colleges across Scotland offer courses in British Sign Language.

Sign Language

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people qualified as sign language interpreters in each of the last five years.

Ms Margaret Curran: The register of English/British Sign Language interpreters is held by the Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI). SASLI have provided the following information.

  

 Year
 Number Admitted 
  to the Register of Interpreters
 Total Number 
  on the Register of Interpreters


 1998
 -
 25


 1999
 6
 31


 2000
 5
 35


 2001
 2
 37


 2002
 4
 41


 2003
 5
 42



  The total number on the Register of Interpreters reflects the fact that some individuals have left the register over time.

Skye Bridge

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has appointed any advisers to assist with the negotiations in ending the toll regime on the Skye Bridge and, if so, who such advisers are.

Nicol Stephen: JMP Consultants Ltd provide technical advice relating to the Skye Bridge. In addition, Commerzbank AG has been appointed to identify and analyse options to assist ministers when they are considering decisions in the future for ending the toll regime at the bridge.

Social Work

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1687 by Euan Robson on 18 August 2003 and to his letter dated 19 November 2003 advising that the report of the Chief Social Work Inspector would be sent to Scottish Borders Council on the 21 November 2003, whether the Executive has now received that report and when it will be published.

Euan Robson: Scottish Borders Council provided the Chief Inspector of Social Work with comments on his report at the end of December 2003. The report is being finalised by the inspectorate in the light of this process and the Chief Inspector will send it to ministers shortly. This inspection had a broad remit and there was inevitably a great deal of material to examine. No formal timescale for publication has been set, but ministers expect to publish the report as soon as possible after its receipt.

UK Legislation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4358 by Ms Margaret Curran on 16 December 2003, whether it has discussed the content and implications of Her Majesty's Government’s proposal to introduce a bill to set up child trust funds as part of its regular contact with that government.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Executive has discussed with Her Majesty's Government the content and implications of the bills in its legislative programme, including the Child Trust Funds Bill. The discussions for each bill have reflected the extent of the relationship with devolved matters.

Waste Management

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to dispose of human sewage from England in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: I have no knowledge of any plans to dispose of human sewage from England in Scotland.

  I am, however, aware of a proposal to import treated residues from waste water treatment plants (sewage sludge) from England in the restoration of a former opencast mine in Lanarkshire.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Inquiry

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether members of the Holyrood Progress Group will offer to give evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry and whether non-MSP members of the group will provide a statement or precognition of their evidence to the Holyrood Inquiry.

Mr George Reid: I am informed by the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that all members of the group have indicated their willingness to provide evidence to the Fraser Inquiry.